Illinois wine industry pushes to change Prohibition-era distribution law.

Yahoo! News: “The Springfield-based alliance is backing a proposed amendment to the state’s Liquor Control Act of 1934 that would substantially increase the amount that wineries could self-distribute to restaurants, retailers and other customers without the required middleman. Under the current law, only wineries that produce less than 25,000 gallons a year are allowed to self-distribute their wine, with a maximum of 5,000 gallons to sell themselves to outside retailers. The proposed legislation, sponsored by Sen. Rachelle Crowe, a Democrat from suburban St. Louis, seeks to raise the production threshold to 250,000 gallons and the self-distribution limits to 50,000 gallons, enabling smaller wineries to bypass distributors and grow their own local connections. The bill also would reduce a 60% increase in licensing fees for Illinois wineries implemented last year and allow them to retain a premises license — the ability to sell alcoholic products they don’t make — if wineries expand manufacturing operations to include beer or spirits.”